Ode to youth: 30 days of reflections from an ex-youth.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent a bit of time with young(er) people who have come to “sit at my feet” as it were. I really would never imagined the experience of having ‘youths’ come to see me for advice. It made my head swell for a few seconds and then it occurred to me – I no longer fit the category of “youth”.

As of this year, I am 35 years of age. Now according to the UN, youth is 15-35 years. According to my friend, Google, Middle age is from 45-65.

So what comes between youth and middle age? Adulthood? Are those of us between 35 and 45 in demographic purgatory? Also, an unsettling thought that occurs in my mind is that the life expectancy in Kenya, where I live is 61 years and 8 months.

That little statistic suggests that one is over the crest and is in the lee side of the life mountain. Morbid, eh? Of course the statistic does not take into account lifestyle, genetics and God.

All of these thoughts make one to be a bit more reflective about life than before. What have I achieved? What do I need to achieve? How have I changed – in action, thought, relationships, perspective? What have I learnt?

Spending time with these young bright sparks has caused me to borrow a leaf from what my friend WambuiJL did on her blog (see her 30 days of marriage lessons, start here) – to post 30 days worth of reflections and advice – based on our lives for the benefit of younger people who come after us.

So I commit to sharing 30 blogposts over the next month of real reflections and advice for my younger siblings. #OdeToYouth

By the way: the plural of ‘youth’ is not ‘youths’. It’s youth.